Hunger Games effect boosts archery's popularity at Olympics

The popularity of The Hunger Games and its bow and arrow-toting heroine Katniss Everdeen has seen a marked interest in archery at this year's Olympic Games.

Figures from US broadcaster NBC showed that archery was the most popular sport it aired in the first few days of Olympic coverage, with more people tuning in than watched the basketball or beach volleyball.

NBC sports group chairman Mark Lazarus said that a growing number of youngsters are taking an interest in the sport since the big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' novel was released earlier this year.

'The numbers for archery have been nothing less than huge," NBC president Alan Wurtzel told The Examiner.

'It delivered an average of 1.5 million cable viewers, the highest rated cable sport, beating out basketball."

'Maybe it's the Hunger Games phenomenon,' he added. 'We're going to have to keep an eye on that.'

In The Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss is particularly skilled with the bow and arrow, first using the weapons to source food for her family and later using them to battle her opponents in the arena.